Authorities are on the lookout for a man who was involved in a death by vehicle Monday night in Lenoir. Police responded to the two vehicle crash just before 7 at the intersection of Harper Avenue and Fairview Drive. 25-year-old Marriah Kelly Warren of Forrest Hill Drive, who was the driver of one vehicle, was taken to Caldwell UNC Healthcare where she was pronounced  dead about 30 minutes after the crash. The operator of the second vehicle, 36-year-old Kenneth Avery Davis, fled the scene on foot and is wanted for felony hit and run resulting in serious injury or death. Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of Davis or who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call Lenoir Police at 757-2100 or Crimestoppers at 758-8300.

On August 23^rd, numerous agencies were involved in issuing search warrants at four gaming locations in Morganton and Valdese. Pursuant to further investigation by Burke County detectives, charges were issued Tuesday on Freddie W. Nichols and Tammy Nichols of Mocksville, Lisa Byrd Branch, Angela Page Hicks, Michael Andrew Sunflower and Magdalena Villa-Gomez Kruse, all of Morganton, along with Rebecca Allendria McCloud and Caitlin Shenae Nicole Hicks, both of Connelly Springs. In addition, a letter was provided to other businesses operating Video Poker, Fish Games, and Sweepstakes Operations throughout Burke County. The letter provides these businesses with the opportunity to immediately comply with the law regarding these machines.

The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office needs the public’s help in locating suspects that damaged church vans and siphoned gas over the weekend. Someone pried the fuel doors and locked gas caps off of vans at Outreach Baptist Church on N.C.126 in Nebo, sometime between 3:30pm Saturday and 9:20am Sunday. Anyone with information about the crime or suspects is asked to call Lieutenant Andy Manis at 652-2237.

This is Fire Prevention Week. The N.C.Forest Service and USDA Forest Service urge visitors and North Carolinians to be cautious with campfires and when burning yard debris. The fall wildfire season typically lasts from mid-October until mid-December, the time of year when people do a lot of yard work that may include burning leaves and yard debris. The leading cause of wildfires in North Carolina is debris burning. When left unattended, debris fires can escape and start wildfires.